Memories of a Bear Hunter 



stacle. Seeing a large pine tree just between us, I 

 determined to get a little closer, and noiselessly and 

 rapidly gained the cover of a tree without attract- 

 ing the old one's attention. The cub, however, 

 stopped, and would not come on. This tree was 

 within forty yards of the old one, and as I peered 

 out ready to shoot, I discovered the bear sitting up 

 and looking back after her cub. I brought my 

 rifle to my shoulder in an instant, took deliberate 

 aim at her chest and pulled. Just as I did so, 

 however, the bear turned her right side slightly 

 toward me. She fell with the ball near or through 

 her heart. Quickly loading, I turned my attention 

 to the cub, which was now sitting up trying to find 

 out what had happened. I pulled on him, the ball 

 going through the shoulders high up and breaking 

 the backbone. Two grizzlies in two shots I 

 thought was pretty good luck. I loaded again with 

 a light ball in case any fresh shooting should be re- 

 quired, but both animals soon lay still. I then went 

 back to my horse, determined to dress the animals 

 and return to-morrow with Catlin to skin them. 

 On going to my horse, however, I was glad to see 

 Catlin not far off coming toward me. 



When he came up, he said that he had discov- 

 ered the bears and determined to be sure as to what 

 they were, had crept up within a hundred yards of 



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